Flash floods strand cars in Southern CA desert

The California Highway Patrol shut the Interstate 40 and U.S. 95 interchange in Needles, near the Arizona border, after thick mud stranded several dozen vehicles. Roadway flooding was also reported in several locations in the Coachella Valley.

The National Weather Service says monsoonal moisture from Tropical Storm Ivo dumped heavy rain in inland mountain and desert areas. More than two inches of rain fell on La Quinta, while the Borrego Springs area in eastern San Diego county saw 3 inches of rain in less than an hour.

The desert soil doesn't absorb water fast enough, so the water dump result in flooding and debris flow in recently burned areas.